Meet the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of Oneida High School

We asked two top students some interesting questions about themselves and they provided answers that shed light on their future plans and unique personalities.

We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we do.

>> See the full Class of 2024 list and back-to-school information

Valedictorian

Name: Liam Gwilt

Parents: Daniel Gwilt and Stéphanie Gwilt

Town/town: Oneida

Your plans in the next few years: Pursue specialized university studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology as a biomedical sciences major.

What are your career plans? I hope to enroll in medical school and become a doctor, I don’t know what specialty, but I also hope to participate in research.

Do you have any advice for first graders? Participate in as many extracurricular activities as possible. Make connections and explore new things, you might find yourself falling in love with something you’ve never heard of before, or at a club meeting, making friends you would never have met otherwise. Always try new things and keep learning and growing. This is the best and brightest time of our lives, use it to your advantage to help you succeed in the future.

What was the highlight of your final year? Forgetting my top 10 speech, the valedictorian forgetting his speech was very ironic.

Who inspired you the most and why? Mr. Fuller, he showed me how to think for myself and gave me lessons to help me become a better student and a better person.

What do you do to relax or unwind? I play video games with my friends and listen to music and podcasts on Spotify.

What word or phrase best describes your personality? Down to earth

What is the most important or sentimental thing you take from home when you go away to college? I’m taking my best friend and salutatorian Jonathan Litwak as my college roommate, who will remind me of home and all the memories and great people I leave behind.

What would your life be like when you were the same age as your parents today? I imagine myself being a successful medical specialist, having paid off my student debt, and starting to raise my own children.

What is one thing you learned at the end of high school that you wish you had known from the beginning? Confidence is the key to success

At least what is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? I truly hope to make a difference in the lives of others, whether through medicine or clinical research. I want to be the one who saves the lives of people who will change the world.

Salutatorian

Name: Jonathan Litwak

Parents: Adam and Donna Litwak

Town/town: Oneida

Your projects in the coming years: RIT for microelectronics engineering

What are your career plans? I plan to work for Micron after I leave school in the Central New York factory.

Do you have any advice for first graders? I urge them to choose to do well and do good.

What was the highlight of your final year? Serving as lighting designer and student technical director for our production of “Into The Woods.”

Who inspired you the most and why? The constant desire to learn more and the ever-changing field of technology has always been an interest of mine and propelled me towards my studies and hobbies.

What do you do to relax or unwind? When I find time to relax, I usually log into video games with my friends, having fun in anything from Minecraft to Overwatch 2 and League of Legends.

What word or phrase best describes your personality? Driven

What is the most important or sentimental thing you take from home when you go away to college? My model of Phoenix, a roller coaster at Knoebels that my extended family and I ride at our annual family reunion.

What would your life be like when you were the same age as your parents today? I’m planning to live in New York (hopefully in the country if there’s any land left) with a family and a job at Micron.

What is one thing you learned at the end of high school that you wish you had known from the beginning? I learned toward the end of high school that it was okay to say no. After participating in over 20 extracurricular activities, I had to learn how to balance my time and determine my limits. If I could, I would say that you don’t have to do everything.

At least what is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? I hope to have the opportunity to downhill ski in Colorado at least once.

More soon

To celebrate the Class of 2024, we will release graduation lists and Q&As with each school’s valedictorian and salutatorian, or alternates from more than 60 Central New York schools. All the covers and more can be found on our High School Life page.

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